Lady Friday(73)

‘I am going to give you the first four Keys to take to Dame Primus,’ continued Arthur, directing his attention to the Beast. ‘I’ll need the Fifth Key to get back to the House. Which I will do as soon as possible.’

‘I’d keep them all if I was you,’ said Suzy.

‘No,’ said Arthur. ‘Everything of power from the House, Denizen or Key, has a bad effect on the Secondary Realms. I have brought enough plagues and troubles to my world. Besides, Dame Primus will need them to fight off the Piper. And Saturday.’

‘Saturday!’ exclaimed Suzy. ‘That reminds me. Where did I put it?’

She rummaged in the pockets of her paper coat, pulled out a small square of paper, and handed it to Arthur.

‘It’s the paper poor old Uggie had. I reckon he got it from the Raised Rat who used the Transfer Plate Friday sent to Saturday, the one whose tracks we saw in the snow. There’s a bloody paw print on the outside, see?’

‘What is it?’ asked Arthur. He unfolded it as Suzy answered.

‘Something worth a Raised Rat dying for, I’d say.’

Arthur read what was written on the scrap of paper aloud. It had been torn from a larger paper, and there was an edge that he thought had probably once held a seal, for there was a trace of the rainbow wax used by all the Trustees.

For the last time, I do not wish to intervene. Manage affairs in the House as you wish. It will make little difference in the end.

S.